Easter Bunnies
by betawho
Summary: The Doctor's caught up in the childlike joy of Easter, to the embarrassment of his Companions. So how will they distract him?


The Doctor was crouched over, running, scanning the ground with his sonic screwdriver. Intense. Driven.

"Sweetie," River called, laughter in her voice, "It's not really fair if you use the sonic screwdriver."

"Ah hah!" The Doctor stood up, flourishing something in the air. "Found another one!" He grinned with glee and dropped the egg in his Easter basket.

The hillside was swarming with children, all of them with colorful baskets over their arms, searching through the bushes and tufts of grass, exclamations of discovery and victory as they pulled out brightly colored eggs.

"We really shouldn't let him do this," Amy said, standing between River and Rory with the rest of the parents at the brow of the hill.

"How do you propose we stop him?" Rory asked.

River suddenly started to grin. A slow growing, rather worrying, grin that ended with her biting her lip and giving the Doctor a bright eyed look.

"River," Amy said, dubiously. "What are you thinking?"

River turned a clever, thoroughly naughty look at her mother. "What's the one thing the Doctor likes more than anything else?" she asked.

"Trouble?" Rory said, bobbing his head down at the gleefully scrambling Doctor.

"A mystery," River answered. She grinned a truly terrifying grin. "Wait here. Don't follow him if he wanders off."

River trotted back to the Tardis. Amy and Rory gave each other worried looks.

—

The Doctor had organized a group of kids, they were all now systematically scouring their quadrant of the hillside, running back, eggs held triumphantly high before dropping them in the communal baskets and running out for more.

He loved Easter, everyone wearing their colorful Sunday best, little girls in bonnets and shiny black shoes, little boys in little suits and overalls. Heaps and mounds of colorful pastel eggs, patterned with colorful swirls and grinny faces. Chocolate bunnies. Jelly beans.

He bounced on his toes as a bright little girl with vivid red curls ran up, laughing, and slid a cascade of colorful eggs into her basket. She gave him a gap toothed grin and bounced back off to find more.

Something rustled in the bushes.

He turned and stared, edging away from his guard on the baskets. The bushes shivered again, and he caught a glint of light. A gold foiled Easter Egg rolled out from under the bush. It was four times the size of any regular Easter Egg.

He bet it was chocolate. Or a prize egg. He could get it and sneak it in the cute little redhead's basket. He reached a hand under the bush and yanked it back with a yelp.

Something furry had touched him. He dropped down on all fours and peered under the bush, just in time to see a large white rabbit's paw nudge the egg forward then retreat back into the bush.

Oh no, not here. Not now. Not with all these children around. He was not putting up with an alien invasion today of all days. Robot Santas were bad enough, but this was inexcusable!

He whipped out his sonic screwdriver. As soon as he started scanning the bush something large and white burst out of it. Leaping away. It bounded off down the hillside. Gallumping. Huge feet flashing. Side hopping around clusters of children. Three hundred pounds of fluffy white rabbit, scattering jelly beans in its wake.

"You! Stop!" The Doctor bounded off after it.

—

The Doctor stomped back into the Tardis, looking flushed and irritated. Rory and Amy turned to stare at him. The Tardis hummed soothingly. He ignored it and stomped up the stairs to the console, muttering to himself.

They heard, "Easter," and "Irresponsible," and "Timelines," and, as he slapped a leathery patch down on the console, "Perception filter!" He glared at the patch. As Amy and Rory looked at it, it transformed into a brightly patterned Easter Egg.

The Doctor turned to the Tardis door and continued what sounded like an interrupted argument. "And just because you could program it for specifics doesn't mean it wasn't irresponsibly risky!" he yelled down to the main floor. "What if somebody saw?!"

Amy and Rory turned and looked behind them. River sauntered in through the door, looking completely unconcerned. "It's Easter, sweetie. No one would notice."

Rory's jaw dropped. Amy stared, then started snorffling laughter.

River sauntered in, her luscious, curvy body completely encased in white hose, a white velvet leotard, her curls were colored powder white, and she turned and wiggled a fluffy little bunny tail at them.

Rory choked. Amy started crying with laughter. She spluttered something about, "Playboy Bunnies."

The Doctor muttered.

River's tall bunny ears were slightly askew.

—

* * *

For more stories by this author click on "betawho" at the top of the page.

Please take a moment to leave a review. Thank you.


End file.
